September 11th, 2015
It’s been a month since we came home from our stay in Russia. School is back in session (second grade for Paloma), and the vacation seems like a long gone dream. Now that we are all situated, I’m finally finding the time to talk about Sochi – the last stop of our trip, where we had a chance to fully relax.
I’ve been visiting Sochi every summer, with small breaks here and there, ever since I can first remember myself. My aunt and cousins have an old, wooden house there, built on the slope of a hill, dating all the way back to the 1940s. The narrow street, on which it stands, is shaded by dense growths of cypresses, palm and fruit trees, which are abundant all over the city. To me, Sochi is a magical place. There is something special about the mix of sweet mountain air and salty Black Sea breeze, tropical vegetation, clear and refreshing seawater, pebbled beaches and busy ethnic markets that surround one at all times. I can never can get enough.
Last year’s winter Olympics brought about major updates to Sochi. The old house on the hill, however, remains the same. The city has been threatening to demolish that whole street for decades, as the houses there have seen their better days, but to our delight, the family house is still there, as welcoming as ever.
Traditionally, generations of cats guard the house. They are tough and self-sufficient like street cats, but also social and friendly like house pets. Each one has a big personality, and all are treated with much respect. Paloma was in heaven, playing in the charming courtyard at the footsteps of the old garden surrounded by cats of all sizes, just like I had done as a kid. And although we live on the beach in Florida, Paloma can’t stop talking about Black Sea beaches, where she would not leave the water for longer than two minutes at a time, turning into quite the little mermaid.
I’ve talked about food from the Caucasus region last year here and here. The markets there supply a wealth of colorful pickles (pictured above on the yellow table), endless fermented dairy and pretty treats like churchkhela. Local cuisine is rich in herbs and spices, and the vegetables are commonly cooked and served whole, or in large chunks, as opposed to Russian cooking, which favors mincing and shredding everything very finely. In the summer, eggplant is present at any table, and there are hundreds of ways to prepare it. The most common and simple eggplant dish is a mixture of vegetables charred over open fire or hot coals, dressed with tons of fresh herbs and garlic. The dish is smoky and fresh at the same time. In the absence of open fire, the recipe below is an alternative way of showcasing eggplant and other summer vegetables in a vegetable dish to complete any table.
Summer Vegetable Saute
3-4 small eggplants – sliced lengthwise, 1/4-inch thickness
2-3 bell peppers – seeded and sliced lengthwise
1-2 onions – sliced lengthwise
about 7 small tomatoes or 2 cups cherry tomatoes
coconut oil or other vegetable oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper – to taste
3-4 cloves garlic – minced
good amount of fresh herbs – parsley, dill, basil, mint
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat and fry eggplant slices in batches, on both sides, until golden brown. Add oil as needed and sprinkle with salt and pepper as you go. Remove eggplant slices from the pan onto paper towels to absorb excess oil, set aside.
2. Saute peppers until soft, add salt to taste, set aside.
3. Saute onions until golden, add salt to taste, set aside.
4. Increase the heat to high. Add whole tomatoes to the pan. Let them sit for about 2 minutes, until they begin to blister, stir and leave to sit for another 2 minutes or longer, until cooked through, but with a bite remaining. Add salt and pepper.
5. Arrange vegetables on a large platter. Top eggplant slices with onion and pepper, finish with tomatoes. Sprinkle with garlic and herbs, more salt and pepper, if desired. Alternatively, you can mix them in a bowl.
Tags: eggplant, pepper, side, tomato
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October 14th, 2014
Ciao from Italy! By the time this post goes up, I will be in the mountains of Abruzzo, having already walked down the streets of Rimini and Venice for the first time in my life. I will already have tasted many fresh and amazing dishes, crossing them off my long list of things to try, one by one. As open as I am to all kinds of food while traveling, I always crave very simple fare when I come back home – vegetables and greens, very much like this salad from Gena’s Hamshaw new cookbook Choosing Raw.
I love Gena’s style, represented so well on her site – easy and informative, full of nutrition advice, but always taking flavor into consideration. I gladly accepted Gena’s offer to send me a copy of her cookbook and already made the Avocado Black Bean Breakfast Scramble, Fig Bars, and this Sweet Potato and Kale Salad – all to delicious results.
Gena’s plant-based recipes, not all of them raw, are fuss-free, and offer options that will satisfy both a rookie and a seasoned cook. What sets the book apart are the many educated answers to your questions about nutrition, veganism and raw food. Being a certified nutritionist herself, Gena provides helpful meal plans for beginners, with higher protein and raw meal options.
This salad is great for fall, with sweet potato as the featured guest. It is simple in preparation and very nourishing – well done Gena!
Sweet Potato and Kale Salad
for the dressing
1 cup cashews – soaked for about 4 hours
1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
for the salad
2 sweet potatos – peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt and pepper
1 bunch kale – cut into bite-size pieces
1 red bell pepper – sliced
1/3 cup slivered almonds
to make the dressing
Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
to make the salad
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Toss sweet potatoes with oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes until soft. Cool for 15 minutes.
2. Massage 1/2 dressing into the kale in a large mixing bowl, until the kale softens. Add in the pepper slices, potatoes and the rest of the dressing. Mix to combine.
3. Serve right away with some slivered almonds sprinkled on top.
Note: Gena uses all of the dressing for this salad, but I used less, as I like my salads dressed lightly. I saved the rest of the dressing for another salad.
Tags: kale, pepper, salad, sweet potato
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October 5th, 2014
I’m leaving for Italy in a few days. Aside from a few beautiful places, I’ll be traveling to the region of Abruzzo, fairly unknown to tourists, and staying in a medieval village in the mountains. Along with feeling excited, I’m also a little nervous about my lack of experience driving on mountain roads and my non-existent knowledge of the Italian language. I predict I will be tasting some amazing pizza very soon, but for now, here is one of my favorites that I make at home.
I’ve been making roasted eggplant and bell pepper pizza with all kinds of different crusts as long as I’ve been cooking vegetarian – it’s such a winner of a dish. It all began with a traditional wheat-based crust that was later replaced with my favorite sprouted flatbread. As delicious as the sprouted crust is, the process is very involved. When I saw Laura’s recipe for a simple, gluten-free pizza crust, I had to give it a try. I chose to use buckwheat groats instead of quinoa/millet because I love the taste and texture of buckwheat, which does not need to be soaked for 8 hours like most grains do – the groats become soft after just an hour of soaking.
As for the toppings, I’ve had several occasions when I fed this pizza to eggplant skeptics, who were converted right there and then.
In other news, our cookbook is now out in French! Visit here to learn more.
Roasted Eggplant and Pepper Pizza on a Buckwheat Crust
makes two 8-9-inch pizzas
Toppings
1 garlic head
1 eggplant – sliced
1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper – seeded and cut into chunks
olive oil
chili powder – to taste
sea salt, black pepper – to taste
feta cheese – optional
leafy greens for garnish
Buckwheat Crust
1 1/4 cup raw (untoasted) buckwheat groats – soaked for 1 hour or overnight
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for the cake pans
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
garlic and/or onion powder or fresh garlic – optional
fresh/dried thyme, oregano – optional
to prepare the toppings
1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Cut the very top of the garlic head off to expose the insides. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and wrap in foil or parchment paper.
3. Mix olive oil and chili powder to taste. Place eggplant slices and pepper chunks into a large baking dish and brush with the chili oil.
4. Place both the garlic and vegetables into the oven, roast for about 20 minutes or until soft. Set aside.
to make the crusts
1. Preheat oven to 450 F
2. Rinse the buckwheat groats very well, they become very slimy during soaking. Combine groats, water, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and other spices/herbs if using, in a blender. Blend until smooth.
3. Place two 8-9-inch cake pans into the hot oven for 5 minutes. Remove them from the oven and add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to each (use cooking spray if your cake pans stick). Place back into the oven for 3-5 minutes.
4. Working quickly, pour the batter into the pans – spread it inside evenly. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip the crusts and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce temperature to 400 F.
to make the pizzas
1. Place crusts onto a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Smear most of the roasted garlic over the crust.
2. Slice the bell pepper chunks into smaller pieces if you wish. Arrange the eggplant and pepper slices on the crusts snuggly, to cover most of the surface.
3. Place pizzas back in the oven and bake for 10-15 more minutes. Sprinkle with feta cheese (if using) and finely chopped kale or other greens.
4. Let cool slightly before slicing.
Tags: buckwheat, eggplant, gluten free, pepper, pizza
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